Sun Protective Clothing

So I decided to piggy-back off of last weeks post and talk about some of my favorite UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) clothing to wear in the summer. Sunlight is helpful for Vitamin D production – which several sources say is accomplished with less than 30 minutes of sun exposure – and after that the skin is being exposed to harmful Ultraviolet Radiation (UVR). Sunscreen is helpful to protect against UVA/UVB but is often not applied frequently enough or in a thick enough layer to be fully effective.

This is where UPF and clothing come into play when outside for longer periods of time. I really prefer to use clothing as sun protection as it always proves to be the most effective way for me to prevent sunburn, and that’s only the sun damage that’s tangible right away. It says nothing for the damage under the surface that I cannot see.

When looking for information regarding UPF I quickly found it as one of the top recommendations from the EWG for skin protection. Here’s a summary of that article and information about what UPF actually means. UPF scores indicate the amount of UVB rays it blocks and the higher the score, the more rays it blocks out. An article of clothing can only claim UPF status if it blocks out UV rays at a factor of 15 or greater. As a reference it states that a white t-shirt would have a score of around 10 – so even standard clothing offers some protection. The thicker the material, darker or brighter the colors or tighter the weave of the fabric all will increase the UPF score. The article also states that buying fabric embedded with sun blocking chemicals is really not necessary.

https://www.ewg.org/sunsafety/tips-sun-clothing.php

This research article studied different fabrics and their properties to find which offered the best sun protection – synthetic fabrics won. Also, they stated many fabrics offered far superior protection than sunscreens.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20600730/

Similarly, protecting yourself with a wide brimmed hat and sunglasses is a good idea when being exposed for longer periods of time.

I have several different UPF shirts – fishing shirts, rash guards, cotton shirts – that I really like for different reasons. Generally I prefer to get long sleeves so my whole arm is covered and protected. The fishing shirts usually have the option to roll the sleeve up and button it into place which is convenient. Also, most of my shirts are loose fitting which increases their UPF rating (with tight clothing the fibers are stretched and therefore more easily penetrated) and feel cooler and more relaxed. Another feature I like is for them to be fast drying as we are often by water or playing with the kids with a water element.

There are so many styles and fits available in any price range that there truly can be something to fit anyones particular needs or desires.

Below I have linked my favorite shirts or some similar and many have several great color options to choose from – click the picture to see the link!